The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has been called upon to demonstrate his commitment to ensuring good governance and transparency by shining a light on the performance of Governor Alex Otti of Abia State.

A pro-All Progressives Congress (APC) group in Abia State, known as Abia Best Interest Association (ABIA), at a press conference held in Abuja on Tuesday, noted that it behoves Obi to ensure that Governor Otti, who is the “poster” boy of the LP, is living up to the expectations of the citizenry in the state.

Convener of the group, Eze Chikamnayo, stated that the inability of the state government to publish the list, locations, contractors, and images of the alleged 51 public school projects, for which over 54 billion naira was spent between the first and fourth quarter of 2024, indicates systemic corruption, impunity, and a lack of transparency and accountability in governance.

According to the group, it is alarming that despite such huge allocations and disbursements, and with almost two years having passed, there is no single new smart school project anywhere in Abia State, as widely reported by the government.

“We must ask Mr. Peter Obi to practice what he preached. We must ask Mr. Alex Otti and LP to verify the public schools and show the world that, after two years, there is not a single smart school to be seen in Abia State. Yet billions, N54 billion, not N1 billion, not N2 billion, not N10 billion, have been taken away from the coffers of Abia’s taxpayers’ money.

“If he fails to act, it means that LP is not a party to be trusted with the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So we are saying that Mr. Alex Otti must come clean. And we are challenging Mr. Peter Obii today to stop all the noise he is making across this country about transparency and accountability. Charity ought to begin at home.

“Let Mr. Peter Obii take Mr. Alex Ottii into one small room and give him sufficient tutelage and a lecture on transparency and accountability. And let him know that Mr. Alex Otti and Mr. Peter Obi lack the credibility and morality to discuss transparency and accountability in Nigeria when Abia State is in such a state, when our state is bleeding, and when 51 public schools, purportedly built with 54 billion naira, are nowhere to be found across the length and breadth of Abia state. That is our point.

“Because we find it very intriguing and indeed very paradoxical that Mr. Peter Obi would go and pontificate about transparency and accountability at the national level and overlook the looming danger of others being swallowed by one individual who is running a one-man government in the environment we now call Abia State. And that is the point we are making.

“Our involvement in this matter is born out of patriotism and a sense of responsibility. Our involvement in this matter is borne out of the need to secure the future of our children. Our involvement in this matter is borne out of the need to ensure that our democracy survives.”

The group wrote to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the National Assembly, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the World Bank, Transparency International and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), to intervene and ensure that the monies meant for fixing public schools are properly accounted for.

While calling on all anti-graft agencies, groups, Civil Society Organisations, and thought leaders to demand accountability from Alex Otti’s administration, the group said: “Already, we have been writing official letters to the above bodies and other international organisations that specialise in basic education, demanding urgent intervention to rescue the State from any attempt by Mr. Alex Otti to use education as a conduit for misappropriation of public funds.”

“In the interest of Abia State, Abia children and generations yet unborn, we have dragged the state government, under Alex Otti-led administration, to all relevant anti-corruption agencies, locally and internationally.

“We have also written to the National Assembly, UNESCO, World Bank, Federal Ministry of Finance, Federal Ministry of Education, and indeed watchdogs like Transparency International, Amnesty International and others for urgent intervention and sanctions where necessary.

“It is our hope that you will join us in our tireless work in promoting transparency and fighting corruption by lending your voice, Platform and influence to ensure that justice is served and accountability is enforced in the Governance of Abia state.”